15 hypertensive subjects and 15 healthy, age and sex matched controls is recruited. Each subject will attend to two examination days. Four days prior to each examination day subjects are given a standardized diet with a low level of nitrate and nitrite. On the evening before the examination day the subjects take a single dose of lithium carbonate 300 mg in order to measure lithium clearance. On the examination days subjects are receiving a two hour infusion of either placebo (isotonic sodium chloride) or sodium nitrite. During the two examination days each subject receives both treatments in random order.